Good Times

I love the desert in the fall. It means good times, hot dogs, skeet and good friends.

You gotta click on this picture of Becky to see the look on her face -funny.

Shilo looks like a pro!

Spooky Dried Apple Heads

My sister-in-law, Megan, told me about these funny dried apple heads. These would be great as a garland or just table decor. I haven't made them yet, but she said to use big apples cause they shrink a lot. The directions are here.

The Almost Perfect Visit

I took the kids to Showlow to visit Uncle Brent and family for fall break. We stayed at their beautiful home that Brent and April built - seriously beautiful.

We had a great time geocaching,(if you don't know what that is, click on the link) eating, talking, and relaxing. They are the perfect hosts and Uncle Brent is always up to something crazy- killing wild turkey's, banging in squirrel heads with a rock, bugling like the elk, and laser beaming the stars.

My kids love Uncle Redneck - ooops, I meant Uncle Brent.

Here we are checking out the "treasure" or geocache box.

It took forever to find. Brent finally found it on the side of the cliff.
Here's Nathan and Mason chatting on our treasure hunt.
It was a beautiful day for treasure hunting.
The leaves were changing on the Aspen trees. This picture doesn't do it justice.
Me and the kiddos.

Now you are probably asking why this was an "almost" perfect visit. It's because Jeff couldn't come with us. He had to work.
We missed you hon!

So Excited!

I am so excited because I just started my first class in Cake Decorating!

I'm a little overwhelmed at all there is to learn, but I'm loving it!

Hopefully I will be making beautiful cakes like this someday!

I'm also excited because I'm going out of town to visit my brother Brent in the mountains. I haven't seen their new baby for a while or new house - so we are taking a road trip.
I will be back on Monday!

PS. I got a camera today!!!!!!!!!

Obscene Christmas

Years back, we put together the "Lee Family Christmas Party" It is a tradition every year. What also has become a tradition is a visit from Santa.

When we started this, we had to come up with a Santa Suit. My sister-in-law, Wendi, donated an old Santa Suit her family had. It also came with a pair of black irrigation boots, which are meant to be folded down.

The first Christmas we used the suit, uncle David, (Santa) came bounding through the front door with the boot's pulled all the way up! We laughed sooooooo hard, and for some reason, that also has become a tradition.

Well last year, Santa stuffed his tummy with pillow's that happened to be a nice flesh color. What he didn't know was that his britches were coming apart.

Wallah! A Christmas to remember.

Splat!

What is it with pigeons and my arcadia door. This is the second time a bird has smacked into my window at full speed.

Do you think caution tape would help?

I've been so busy the last few days putting in my garden. What do you think?

Just kidding! I don't have a camera right now - I just wish it looked like that. Anyway, I will be back Monday, hopefully with a camera and lot's to blog about! Have a great weekend!

Tagged

I am sorry, but I really like my cousin Alice, and she tagged me. Here ya go!


5 Things I was doing 10 years ago...
1) Learning to be a mom
2) Running a lot
3)Teaching in Relief Society
4) Living on my own because Jeff was back east training as a special agent
5) Running a lot

5 Things on my "to-do" list today....
1) Clean my house (everyday)
2) Lot’s of laundry
3) Go to the plant nursery with Shilo and Becky
4) Plant my garden
5) Repot the plants on my back porch and stain the planters
6) Call the doctor
7) Take the kids to soccer
8) Try to find time to make dinner
9) Read to, kiss, tuck, get drinks of water, and put the kids to bed
(I guess I was only supposed to do 5, but there are just too many things to do today)

5 snacks I enjoy....
1) Chips and salsa
2) chips and salsa
3) trail mix
4) pears
5) If I was being really bad, dry cereal right from the box

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire...
1) Pay off my house
2) Help my family
3) Build a cabin
4) Service
5) Service

5 bad habits...
1) Not managing my insulin better
2) Staying up late
3) Worrying to much
4) Trying to please everyone
5) Being hard on myself

5 things I would never wear again
1) Half the clothes in my closet
2) Shoulder pads for sure
3) Jeans with the bottoms safety pinned (1980’s)
4) Blue eye shadow and pink shimmer lipstick
5) Claw bangs

5 of my favorite toys....
1) My computer
2) My bike
3, 4, and 5) I am pathetic and can’t think of anything else. I so need to get out and have more fun!

5 people I tag.... (sorry if you've done this before)
1) Laurel
2) Brittany
3) Meredith
4) Eldon
5) Monique

Life Without A Camera

I am lost. I can't blog. I don't get excited about things I am doing. I am camera-less.

I borrowed my 11 year olds camera to take pictures of my sons birthday party, but now she can't remember where she put the cords so I can't download them.

I feel like a part of me has died --- Okay, that is a little dramatic! I just need to suck it up and go drop a few hundred dollars to buy a new one.

In the meantime, you will just have to look at pictures that I didn't take.
I love this one.

The Best Ever

I thought I would start off the week with my all time favorite "Fruit Salad" recipe. I laugh when I say fruit salad, because this is like dessert.

The next time you have people over, or have to bring a "salad" promise me you will try this!

Fruit & Cookie Salad

2 small packages instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups buttermilk
16 oz. coolwhip
3 cans Mandarin oranges (chilled)
2 regular cans pineapple tidbits (chilled)
1 pkg Fudge Stripe cookies crushed in your hands (this is the key ingredient)
Strawberries (optional)

In a bowl, mix buttermilk and pudding together. Add Coolwhip, fruit, and crushed cookies. Garnish with Strawberries. I put this in a trifle dish and put a layer of strawberries in the middle and on top - very yummy looking. Also, I drain the fruit before I add it, but I leave a little in the can.

Mad Science Fun!

Today Nathan is having a "Mad Scientist" birthday party. So I am off to make a volcano cake and practice my "scientific"experiments. I will borrow Sammi's camera so I can blog the pictures on Monday!

Have a great weekend!!

Wacky Hair Day

Yesterday my kids had "wacky hair day" at school. My two oldest, being on student counsel, get really into it and go crazy. Sammi pinned Barbie clothes all over her head with a sign that said "Barbie was here". Allison had a major Fro going on and we sprayed her hair all different colors.

Nathan, my 6 year old today (happy birthday), doesn't have much to work with so he said he just wanted orange hair and that was good.

So we hosed his head down with a nice fluorescent orange. His little friend across the street came over to walk with Nathan to the bus stop. He saw Nathan's hair and wanted his head sprayed just the same.

After a phone call to his mom, we hosed his head down too. They were so happy as they walked to the bus.

Funny thing is, last night when we washed his hair, we discovered that orange didn't want to come out. YIKES! Yes he has a pumpkin head this morning. And even better - so does his friend across the street.

So, if you are planning on orange hair this Halloween, and want the color to stick around, I highly recommend the product in the picture! It colors great - and then some. Hee Hee!

This is how I feel right now. We had a fun birthday dinner at a restaurant with friends for Jeff's birthday. And yes, I did -that is LEAVE MY CAMERA ON THE TABLE!!!!!!

Unfortunately the waitress or bus boy or whoever, is not honest because it is not in the lost and found.

I hope they enjoy my camera while the batteries last because funny thing - I have the charger. And - oh yeah - I hope they get some good pictures developed - but oh, funny thing, I have all the cords for that too!

So whoever you are - enjoy my camera!! In the meantime, I am dying because I can't take pictures of anything. Bear with me until I purchase a new camera. Dang it!

Book of the Week

One of my favorite books of all time is A Tale of Two Cities. I don't know why I picked it up - maybe it was because I kept hearing it quoted in conference.

It is a beautiful story of true sacrifice. I remember being so touched by this book. The very end is the pay off, so if you read it, stick it out.
You can get it here for $ .75.

Oh So Good!

I finally made this cake recipe my cousin Alice blogged about. It was Oh So Good!
I thought I would pass it on.

Applesauce Spice Cake

2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. butter, soft
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs and applesauce. Stir in dry ingredients. Bake in greased 9 x 13" cake pan for about 45 minutes. (I've never done so, but I'm sure you could bake this in 2 rounds, though you would need to adjust the baking time.) Frost with "Grandma Frosting." (see recipe below)

Grandma Frosting
2 c. powdered sugar
6 T. butter, soft
1 (scant) T. flour
1 egg white
2 T. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Beat until fluffy. Adjust milk and sugar to reach the desired consistently. (It shouldn't be too stiff.)